Hassan Niazi arrested in Abbotabad

A nephew of former Prime Minister and Chairman PTI Imran Khan has been arrested in Abbotabad city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late on Sunday night, his father confirmed in a tweet.

Sources say Hassan Niazi, who is a lawyer by profession, was picked up from his friend’s place after days of hiding in order to avoid arrest. He had moved there a couple of days ago, sources add.

Niazi’s detention comes amid a crackdown on former ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over May 9 violence that involved attacks on private and public installations including Lahore’s Corps Commander’s House, called Jinnah House.

Hassan Niazi, a human rights activist, is married to the daughter of the Khan of Oghi. His father, Hafeezullah Niazi, who is a prominent media personality, said he “hopes no law would be violated.”

Last month, a court had initiated the process to declare Imran Khan’s two sisters and Hassan Niazi proclaimed offenders in a case related to the attack on the historic Jinnah House.

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The Corps Commander House, also known as Jinnah House, was vandalised and torched by a mob of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters following the arrest of the party chief Khan from the Islamabad High Court on May 9.

Pakistan saw unprecedented anti-government protests following the arrest of Khan, 70, by paramilitary Rangers in a corruption case on May 9. Khan was later released on bail.

Dozens of military installations and government buildings, including the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or torched during the riots. Over 100 vehicles of police and other security agencies were set on fire.

Law enforcement agencies have arrested over 10,000 PTI workers across Pakistan, 4,000 of them from Punjab province only.

According to Khan, over 16 PTI workers were killed in the violence. Police have put the death toll to 10.

Khan is also facing numerous cases related to attacks on military installations. Currently, he is facing over 150 cases related to terrorism, murder and blasphemy. He is currently been kept in Attock Jail after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for ‘corruption’ in Toshakhana case.